CHAPTER XIV.

umsonherbeauty,forshewasnotbeautifulnoroffercondolenceonherplainness,forneitherwassheplainacareworncharacterofforehead,andacorrespondingmouldingofthemouth,struckmewithasentimentresemblingsurprise,butthesetraitswouldprobablyhavepassedunnoticedbyanylesscrotchetyobserver. Now,reader,thoughIhavespentmorethanapageindescribingMdlle.Henri,IknowwellenoughthatIhaveleftonyourmind’seyenodistinctpictureofherIhavenotpaintedhercomplexion,norhereyes,norherhair,norevendrawntheoutlineofhershape.Youcannottellwhetherhernosewasaquilineorretrousse,whetherherchinwaslongorshort,herfacesquareorovalnorcouldIthefirstday,anditisnotmyintentiontocommunicatetoyouatonceaknowledgeImyselfgainedbylittleandlittle. Igaveashortexercise:whichtheyallwrotedown.Isawthenewpupilwaspuzzledatfirstwiththenoveltyoftheformandlanguageonceortwiceshelookedatmewithasortofpainfulsolicitude,asnotcomprehendingatallwhatImeantthenshewasnotreadywhentheotherswere,shecouldnotwriteherphrasessofastastheydidIwouldnothelpher,Iwentonrelentless.Shelookedatmehereyesaidmostplainly,“Icannotfollowyou.”Idisregardedtheappeal,and,carelesslyleaningbackinmychair,glancingfromtimetotimewithaNONCHALANTairoutofthewindow,Idictatedalittlefaster.Onlookingtowardsheragain,Iperceivedherfacecloudedwithembarrassment,butshewasstillwritingonmostdiligentlyIpausedafewsecondssheemployedtheintervalinhurriedlyre-perusingwhatshehadwritten,andshameanddiscomfiturewereapparentinhercountenancesheevidentlyfoundshehadmadegreatnonsenseofit.Intenminutesmorethedictationwascomplete,and,havingallowedabriefspaceinwhichtocorrectit,ItooktheirbooksitwaswithareluctanthandMdlle.Henrigaveuphers,but,havingonceyieldedittomypossession,shecomposedheranxiousface,asif,forthepresentshehadresolvedtodismissregret,andhadmadeuphermindtobethoughtunprecedentedlystupid.Glancingoverherexercise,Ifoundthatseverallineshadbeenomitted,butwhatwaswrittencontainedveryfewfaultsIinstantlyinscribed“Bon”atthebottomofthepage,andreturnedittohershesmiled,atfirstincredulously,thenasifreassured,butdidnotlifthereyesshecouldlookatme,itseemed,whenperplexedandbewildered,butnotwhengratifiedIthoughtthatscarcelyfair.